MARK BAKER: Certainly, we are
concerned about the safety around
UAVs and we had proposed, with
others, that there should have been
different segments of weight. Under

55 pounds, if it’s 40 pounds and
it hits a small airplane or even a
larger airplane, it’s going to be a
problem. The two-pounders with
the little gyrocopters, with the
cameras on them, I think can be
flown successfully. We want to
be involved in the training. We’d
like to see the airports and maybe
the flight schools be involved in
teaching airspace to drone operators
because we think that’s a way
to get people out to the airport.

Again, some percentage of themwill become a pilot at some pointin time because of that ability tosee things from looking down. It’ssomewhat inspirational.

But we are working really hard
with the FAA to make sure that we
put some fences around things that
are really important right now and I
think there’s going to be great, great
opportunities for careers, whether
it’s in pipeline or whatever else kind
of agriculture work for drone and
UAV operators for careers, so we’re
excited about it.

JEFF MULDER: Faye, your members,of course, are in the airspace everyday around busy airports andcongested airspace, so I’m sure thatas an association of the regionalairlines, it’s something on yourradar, no pun intended. But whatare your thoughts, and what do yourmembers think about UAVs?

FAYE MALARKEY BLACK: Like the
others, and we share the sense
that the first, the primary, the
paramount concern is safety, and
making sure that these exciting
UAVs are integrated into the
airspace in a way that’s safe. We
know that the regulators are looking
at this, and we’ll participate in that
process. This is exciting stuff, and
perhaps this is indeed a means of
reaching out to the future; a sort
of gateway into this field and into
aviation. We don’t want to squash
that excitement, and we don’t want
to squash that interest, but we do
want to make sure that they’re
operated carefully and safely.